Video conferencing provides two or more users in remote locations the opportunity to communicate in a manner that replicates a face-to-face conversation. As such, it is hoped that video conferencing can improve communication between remote users.
One obstacle to the widespread acceptance of video conferencing is the inability of video conferencing systems to promote socially acceptable eye contact. In most implementations, a video conferencing camera is placed at the perimeter of a video conferencing monitor, so that when a local user looks at the monitor the local user is not looking into the camera. Therefore, the remote user may not feel as if there is socially acceptable eye contact with the local user. If the local user were to look directly into the camera, so as help the remote user perceive socially acceptable eye contact, the local user would not be able to directly view the monitor displaying the remote user, and thus the local user may not perceive socially acceptable eye contact.